


Upon Viewing the Matter Objectively

by notfromcold



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Aromantic Character, F/M, Fluff, Food mention, M/M, Multi, demiromantic characters, logic and philosophy week, romo, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-24 17:24:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4928527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notfromcold/pseuds/notfromcold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pemberly (1828): Combeferre receives some advice. Enjolras consents to visit England and take a walk. Eliza and Fitzwilliam Darcy embark on an adventure in seditious publishing, which proves to be less taxing than the trials and tribulations of young love.</p><p>Un-beta'd - I apologize in advance for any errors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Upon Viewing the Matter Objectively

 

> The course of true love never did run smooth.

\- A Midsummer Night's Dream

 

"The object of my affection," Combeferre began, leaving his seat to take a turn about the room, "The object. The _object_ of my affection. My affections - ah."

Mrs. Eliza Darcy raised her eyebrows at him over the rim of her teacup.

Combeferre made a frustrated noise, turned tightly on his heel, and resumed his seat only to think better of it a moment later and shoot up again to continue his pacing. Mrs. Darcy's eyebrows rose higher. Had Combeferre been looking at her instead of the carpet, he would have noticed that she was doing a terrible job hiding her fond amusement.

Combeferre had been staying with his mother's friends, the Darcys, at Pemberley in Derbyshire, England, for nearly a month. This extended vacation from Paris was ostensibly to allow him a rest from his studies. In reality, though Combeferre did acknowledge his need for a rest, the trip had a second, more politically charged purpose. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy had discretely inquired with Madame Combeferre about ways in which they might disseminate in England some of the writings on political philosophy, economics, and law which were being produced (so they heard) in France at a prodigious rate. Their inquiry left an important qualifier intentionally unsaid - they were interested in translating and disseminating the _illegal_ political pamphlets that were being produced in France at a prodigious rate, many by Madame Combeferre's son and his friends. Combeferre had few secrets from his mother and his mother had fewer still from her friend Eliza. Arrangements were quietly made.

The visit had been a complete success. Combeferre's clear-eyed directness of speech and his talent for one-liners endeared him to his hosts, even if they endeared him somewhat less to the surrounding neighborhood. Indeed, tea with Lady Catherine had been made nearly tolerable for Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, with the added benefit that she was unlikely to invite them back until she was certain that their guest had returned to France.

It was after winning the Darcy household this much needed respite that Combeferre returned to his room at Pemberley to find a letter waiting for him. Upon opening it, he read with delight (and some nervousness) that Enjolras had accepted his and the Darcys' invitation to join them for what would be Combeferre's last two weeks in England. The nervousness was not unexpected - Combeferre had felt it growing within him each time he spoke of his friend to the Darcys. And he was quite certain that he knew its source. Watching the obvious friendship between Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, their frank affection for each other, and the way in which they worked together on projects big and small, had confirmed for Combeferre something he had suspected for some time. There was one person with whom he could imagine entering into such an easy partnership, and that person was his friend Enjolras. What did he want from Enjolras, exactly? He wasn't sure. Friendship, yes, but more so - something deep and stable - similar to what they had already but ... more so.

An observant woman, Mrs. Darcy did not fail to notice the change that the letter from his friend had worked in her young guest. Concerned that his distracted air stemmed from some difficulty in readying the pamphlets for translation, she invited him into the library for a cup of tea and asked him if any problems had arisen.

Combeferre responded to her questions by blushing deep red and apologizing, assuring her that it was a trifling problem, more personal in nature. "Simply an affliction common to young students!" he attempted to joke, unsure how much to share.

"Ah," Mrs. Darcy gave him a shrewd look. "Lets see, exams, perhaps, or debts, or love, or ... oh, it's not a duel is it? If you are going to ask me to be your second, of course I'll consent though I'll warn you that I've little experience in that area."

Her tone surprised a laugh out of Combeferre and her humor provoked him to greater openness than he might have otherwise shown (likely just as she intended, he thought later).

"No, no duel - it's love I'm afraid, so you see I won't be needing a second ... only, well, I would appreciate hearing your thoughts if you'd be willing. You and your husband have impressed me with your, well, sensibleness I suppose. It's simply that the object of my affection ..." And here Combeferre had stalled and then begun to pace.

After five minutes of smiling encouragement and gentle hints to continue, Mrs. Darcy realized that more bluntness would be needed. "We make love complicated with our attempts to be subtle. God knows it's already complicated enough with the barriers society throws between us - this person cannot be with that person because of their station, this person is of the wrong sex to be with that person, this person is too poor for that person or too rich. The list goes on. But I've known many obstacles to have been overcome by the simple application of frank communication. Why, just last year two young women of my acquaintance - well, it was clear that they care about each other very much."

Combeferre stopped his pacing and stood stock still in the middle of the room. After a moment, he returned to his seat, took a sip of his hitherto untouched tea, and said "It's simply that the object of my affection - well, there has always been the most easy intimacy between us. I value his opinion more than I can say and his good opinion of me is something I would not trade for the world. I am certain that he values our friendship highly, but perhaps he does not value it in ... the manner that I do. That is, I value it as a friendship but to me that friendship is everything I could want or need in a companion."

Mrs. Darcy nodded. "My own marriage might have been prevented by a hundred miscommunications and misconceptions had we not gone on a walk one afternoon and sorted everything out."

 ~ ~

 Enjolras arrived one week later on a warm, nearly perfect day. Combeferre went to meet him with his stomach in excited, terrified knots. "It's good to see you my friend," he offered.

Enjolras smiled, easy, relaxed, calm, delighted. "And it's so very good to see you, Combeferre."

"Let me help you with your bags, and then ... um, it's lovely out ... would you care for a walk about the grounds? I could show you a stream with some very interesting little frogs, and ..."

Enjolras's smile changed from calm to a giddy, brilliant thing as he took Combeferre's arm. "I would like that very much."

Eliza and Fitzwilliam Darcy watched as they walked into Pemberley arm in arm. "Goodness," Mr. Darcy said, linking his arm with his wife's "to think we were ever that horribly awkward."

"Ah - young love," Mrs. Darcy sighed, laying her head against her husband's shoulder, "thank god we're past that. It was so much work."

**Author's Note:**

> A silly, silly little thing for Logic and Philosophy Week 2015. This is a standalone that doesn't really fit into my My Friends are My Republic verse (there will be E/C there, too, but it will be less silly and told more from E's perspective).
> 
> I read Pride and Prejudice this year and was so delighted with how bitingly intelligent and snarky Eliza was. Of course, it occurred to me that she and Combeferre needed to become friends and terrorize the English social scene leaving a trail of deflated egos and sharp one liners in their wake. And for the love of god, someone needed to help get Combeferre and Enjolras together.
> 
> And yes, Combeferre, the Darcys know you are gay. You are fooling no one. Seriously, with the amount you talk about your "dear friend", the Darcys know you are gay. 
> 
> I know in Pride and Prejudice Lady Catherine does not live so near to the Darcys. For reasons of this story, let's just assume that she took a house near them for the summer (imagine their surprise at learning that she was to be their neighbor for three months).


End file.
